Ben Affleck puts Batman directing doubts to rest

It seemed like a sure thing that Ben Affleck was scheduled to write, direct and star in a new solo Batman movie, but a recent interview with The Guardian in which he stated “It’s not a set thing and there’s no script” have put the status of the project into question. Further rumors of filming being pushed back from a spring date to sometime in the summer have Bat-fans worried their winged crusader will not take flight, but a new TV interview with Jimmy Kimmel Live! has set the record straight.

“I’m gonna direct the next Batman, we’re working on it,”Affleck confirmed. “It’s one of those things that’s really frustrating because with ‘Live By Night’ it took me a year-and-a-half to write it and get it ready and I worked really hard. It’s just no one gave a s**t. No one was like, ‘WHERE’S ‘LIVE BY NIGHT?’ But with Batman I keep getting the, “WHERE’S THE F**KING BATMAN?” I’m like, “Whoa, I’m working! Give me a second!”

While it’s possible that the script work Affleck is doing with DC Comics CCO Geoff Johns is still being fine-tuned, that is without question a good thing. One of the primary aspects that have hurt DC Films in the past has been the rushed slate to meet release dates, with Suicide Squad in particular only given a scant six weeks for script development. As of now, Warner Bros. has Aquaman and The Flash set for release in 2018, although with no director attached don’t be surprised if the latter film falls off the schedule. While it may behoove Warner Bros. shareholders to rush a Batman solo movie in to fill that Flash gap, it would be unwise, as another critical disappointment — particularly with an Oscar-winning director like Affleck behind it — could spell the beginning of the end for DC’s cinematic universe. Expect The Batman to maintain its projected 2019 release date.

Joe Manganiello will face off against Ben Affleck’s Batman in the film as Deathstroke, after first making his debut in the upcoming Justice League, with additional appearances by Jeremy Irons as Alfred and J.K. Simmons as Commissioner Gordon expected to happen as well. DC Entertainment President and CCO Geoff Johns will serve as co-writer (with Affleck) and producer.

Affleck will return to the big screen as Batman first in Justice League, opening in theaters on November 17.